


Fall

by tarrysmith



Series: Seasons [1]
Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-03-02 18:13:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2821550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarrysmith/pseuds/tarrysmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.</p><p>Inspired by a conversation I had with sarabeth72.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's a photo of Tom wearing an orange shirt, which always reminds me of a prison jumpsuit, so, I’ve written ConvictTom…
> 
> I’m going to apologize right now to the Benedict people. I needed the villain to be famous, someone that Tom cared about and would want to go out on a limb for, and I needed it to be someone I don’t care for, because I could never write this way about someone I loved. So again, sorry Ben, to you and your people…

Fall

Chapter 1

The ringing of his cell phone on the bedside table startled him awake him from a sound sleep. Wondering who the fuck was calling at such an hour, he glanced at the screen before touching the connect button. “Ben, what the fuck are you doing, calling at 2:00 in the morning? Shouldn’t you fucking be in bed?”

His friend’s voice on the other end sounded panic-stricken, desperate. “Tom, thank god you’ve answered. You’ve got to help me. There’s been an accident.”

Tom took a deep breath and forced himself to speak soothingly and quietly. “Ben, calm down. Tell me what’s happened.”

“Oh, Tom, I don’t even know. I don’t know how I always get into these situations… I’ve managed to crash my car. There’s this girl…” Ben was rambling.

“Ben, what girl?” Tom asked, running a hand through his hair. “And what were you doing driving? Surely you had no business behind the wheel?”

“I know, Tom, I know,” Ben whined. “You’re not telling me something I don’t know. But it’s happened, and you’ve got to come help me! I don’t have anyone else!”

“I’m in no condition to drive, either, Ben,” Tom said exasperatedly. “I’ll have to take a cab. Where are you?”

Ben gave him an approximate address, and then with a shrieked, “Please hurry!” Ben hung up.

Tom called for cab, then went to his bathroom and splashed cold water over his face. He got dressed in jeans and a blue tee shirt, and slipped his feet into his Vans, not bothering with socks. He grabbed a jacket and went to wait for the cab to arrive.

He wondered what sort of trouble Ben had managed to get himself into this time. Tom didn’t know which was more worrisome: the fact that he’d crashed his car while drunk, or the fact that he’d apparently been involved with a girl, on this, the night before his wedding. For tomorrow Ben was marrying his pregnant fiancée, all his dreams were going to come true, and Tom just couldn’t envision a universe where you would want to fuck that up by messing with some girl at your bachelor party.

Because it was true, there had been plenty of women, and many of them had been throwing themselves at Ben because of who he was, even though he was the groom-to-be; Tom thought it was all quite shameless. He himself had had his fair share of female attention as well, but he was much more discriminating about the company he kept than Ben was, apparently. It had all gotten to be a bit too much for him, and after a last few best wishes and a goodbye hug, he had left the party at just after midnight.

Well, the cab was here now, and Tom got in and gave the driver the address Ben had given him, then he leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes, trying to gather himself together and sober up for what was to come. Soon, they arrived at the address that Ben had given him, and Tom was appalled to find the man himself, bleeding from a cut on his forehead, hair disheveled, shirt torn, staggering around the wreckage of his car, which appeared to be totaled. Tom slipped the cab driver some money, said, “Can you please wait?” and then got out to attend to Ben.

“Ben, what the fuck?” Tom was trying hard not to yell, but it was difficult. “What have you bloody done?”

Ben was wringing his hands. “She gave me a lap dance, and then she offered to do a little bit more and give me a happy ending, but the bar was closing and I was taking her back to my place, but then this pole was in the way, and she’s hurt, she’s bleeding, and Tom, there’s so much blood, and I don’t know what to do, and Tom, you’ve got to help me!” Ben spoke in a rush, his words slurred, and Tom was having trouble understanding him.

Tom took Ben by the shoulders, shaking him and forcing him to look at him. “Where is she, Ben?” he asked tensely, his face a mask of tension and concern. “If she’s hurt that badly, we have to get her to a hospital, call an ambulance. Ben, where?”

“Oh god oh god oh god…” Ben was incoherent, and Tom didn’t think he had any choice, he slapped him sharply across the face. “Ben, where. Is. She?”

Ben was crying now. ”She’s still in the car… And Tom, what am I going to do? Linda won’t understand, and she’ll never forgive me, and oh god, I’m getting married tomorrow, and Linda’s pregnant, and we’re getting married, and what am I going to do? Tom you have to help me!” His voice rose to a scream at the end, and he was clutching Tom’s jacket, but Tom pulled away and ran to the car.

She was in the front passenger seat, and Ben was right: there was a lot of blood. Tom didn’t even hesitate, he pulled out his phone and dialed 112 [author’s note: as far as I can tell, the UK equivalent of the USA’s 911] to call for an ambulance.

Ben was at his side in an instant, pulling on his arm. ”Tom, what are you doing?” he hissed. “You can’t call anyone! I’m getting married tomorrow!”

“Ben, she needs to get to the hospital! We don’t have a choice here, man. You’re gonna have to step up and take responsibility for your actions this time. If you’re lucky, Linda will forgive you.” Tom was flabbergasted over Ben’s attitude.

Just then, Tom made contact with the emergency operator. “Yes, hello,“ he said into the phone. “There’s been an accident at…” He gave the address Ben had given him. “Send an ambulance right away.”

Tom was so busy talking to the emergency operator, that he didn’t notice Ben approaching and climbing into the taxi that he, Tom, had arrived in. He did notice when that taxi turned around, speeding away, leaving him alone with the wreckage of Ben’s car and a potentially very injured girl. He made a disgusted face, and ran his hand through his hair. “Great,” he said out loud, even though there was no one there to hear him.

Five minutes later, the ambulance pulled up. Three paramedics got out and went immediately to the car, while a fourth one approached Tom. ”What happened, sir?” the man asked him.

Tom ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know, I wasn’t here,” he said agitatedly. “I got a phone call from a friend of mine, saying he’d been in an accident, and asking me to come help. When I arrived, I found this.”

“How much have you had to drink tonight, sir?” the paramedic asked him, a neutral expression on his face.

“I don’t deny that I was drinking earlier,” Tom admitted. “I was at a party. But l wasn’t here when this accident occurred! I was home in bed asleep until my friend called me…“

“And where is this “friend” now, sir?” the paramedic asked, trying not to sound skeptical.

Tom took a deep breath and bit his lip. “He took off in my cab,” he said, still not quite believing it. “He left me here alone to deal with this! I don’t know where he went. I assume, to his home.”

The paramedic looked at Tom now, and at seeing the expression on his face, Tom felt a frisson of fear. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to call the police in on this, sir,” he said.

The paramedics attending to the girl had successfully extracted her from the car and had strapped her to a stretcher. They had started an IV, and Tom could see that she was covered with a blanket. As they loaded her into the back of the ambulance, one of them came over to speak with the man who had been talking to Tom, while the other two got in the ambulance, one in the front, and one in the back, with the girl. The two with Tom had stepped away from him, speaking in voices so low that Tom couldn’t make out what they were saying. The second paramedic returned to the ambulance, got in with the driver, and the ambulance pulled away. The same paramedic that had originally been speaking with Tom returned to him.

“Sir, I’m afraid it doesn’t look good, and the police are on their way,” he said seriously. ”I’m to wait here with you until they arrive.”

“But, I didn’t do anything!” Tom protested, genuine fear starting to come over him. “I wasn’t even here. I wasn’t…”

“You can save your story for the police,“ the paramedic said, for the first time allowing disgust to color his tone.

A police car pulled up a short while later, and two uniformed officers got out of the car and approached them. The paramedic went to meet them. “We found this man at the scene when we arrived,” he told the officers. “He claims that he wasn’t involved, but no one else was here.”

One of the officers, Tom saw his name was Evers, asked the paramedic, “How bad?”

“It’s unlikely she’ll make it,“ the paramedic said, glancing at Tom. ”I’m not allowed to say much more in front of him,” he said, tipping his head towards Tom. “I and the other paramedics will come down to the station to give a statement tomorrow sometime.”

“Yes, OK,” Evers said, nodding, writing in his notebook.

While they had been speaking, the other officer had been assessing the vehicle, writing notes and taking photographs. He approached them now, and Tom saw that his name badge read Riley.

“It’s hard to see how anyone could have survived that,” he said lowly to Evers, glancing at Tom.

Evers turned to Tom. ”Sir, I’m afraid we’re going to have to take you down to the station.”

Tom looked at him, horror-stricken, grabbing at his hair with both hands. “Oh, no! This is a nightmare,” he whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, I feel the need to apologize to the Ben crowd. I know this is painful! I’d come unglued if someone wrote this kind of stuff about my Tom! And I’m not sure how it’s gonna turn out yet, either — the main story is there, and then the details always write themselves. This is such a different story for me, and it seems a little slow, but it’s good practice, so I intend to finish it. I expect this is the closest you’ll ever see me get to real, genuine angst, because, quite frankly, I hate it! If I want to be brought down, I’ll read the news! So, don’t despair! I’m even trying to come up with a way to get Ben out of the hot water he is in! I must “fix” things — it’s what I do…

Fall

Chapter 2

Riding in the back of the police car, hands cuffed behind his back, was not one of the high points of Tom’s life. He’d been made to blow into a Breathalyzer (.02, thank you very much), and then Riley rode in back with him as they dropped the paramedic off at the hospital, and then he was on his own in the back seat of the cruiser until they got to the station. They had read him his rights and arrested him before they cuffed him, and he had immediately shut his mouth, and guessed he wouldn’t open it again until he was allowed his phone call. Obviously, he’d call Luke. He could just imagine what the other man would say. Tom couldn’t help the tears that fell when he realized that, no matter what happened, whether he was ultimately proved innocent or not, his career was most likely over.

Eventually they arrived at the police station, where he was fingerprinted and mug-shotted. Hell that wasn’t even proper grammar, but he was too tired and scared to care. Finally, it was time for his phone call, and so, as planned, he did call Luke.

“Luke, I’ve been arrested,” he began, still not able to believe that he was actually awake, and not having some horrible nightmare. ”It’s a long story, and I don’t have a lot of time. I’m going to need my lawyer. Find him right away.”

“Tom,” Luke sounded shell-shocked. “You? What do they think you’ve done? You’re always such a fucking boy scout.”

“Luke, l don’t have time for this!” Tom said desperately. “Contact Carstairs. Immediately!”

“OK, Tom, OK,” Luke said soothingly. “I’m on it. Just sit tight, OK?”

“I don’t have a choice, at this point,” Tom said, seconds before an officer said, “Time’s up!” and jerked the phone out of his hand.

“Come on, pretty boy,” the officer said, hauling him to his feet. “Let’s get you settled into a nice interrogation room.”

Tom was escorted down the hall and taken into a small, bare room that had a large mirror along one wall (2-way glass, he thought), with nothing but a cold metal table with rails in the center of the room, and four hard, plastic chairs. The officer pushed on his shoulders til he sat in one of the chairs, and then the handcuff was taken off his left wrist.

The pain in his shoulders from having his hands cuffed behind his back was excruciating, and as his movements were obviously stiff, the officer looked at him with some sympathy for the first time. “I’ll just give you a couple of minutes,” he said quietly, “then I have to cuff you to the rail.”

“Thank you,” Tom said gratefully, stretching his shoulders and rubbing his wrists.

“Ready, now?” the officer asked, after a few minutes had passed.

“No,” said Tom frankly, but his held out his right wrist with the dangling cuff anyway, and the officer fastened it to the rail on the table.

“What happened, anyway?” the officer asked gently.

“I don’t even know…” Tom began. “No,” he said forcefully. “I’m not saying anything more til my lawyer comes.”

“Suit yourself,” the officer shrugged. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?”

“Coffee would be great,” Tom said tiredly, then folded his free arm atop the table, and rested his head on it.

“I’ll bring you some,” the officer said, moving towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Tom woke with a start. He was still seated, cuffed to the table. The dregs of the coffee were cold. He wondered how long he’d been there and what time it was, but they’d taken his watch when they’d booked him. He wondered when his lawyer would arrive.

Just then the door opened and his lawyer, Justin Carstairs, bustled in. The same police officer from before, who was escorting him, shut the door, and Tom was left alone with his attorney.

Justin Carstairs was known as the lawyer to the stars. He had several high-profile clients, and certainly Tom was one of the most visible at this time. Justin set his briefcase on the floor and took a seat in one of the horrible chairs. “Tell me what happened,“ he said, looking Tom in the eye.

“I don’t even know,” Tom began, and proceeded to tell him everything that had happened since being awoken by Ben’s frantic, 2:00 am phone call. “And then he took off — in my cab! And left me alone to deal with all this!”

Justin pursed his lips. “Of course, everything you’ve said here is protected by attorney/client privilege, but unfortunately, Mr. Hiddleston, I am also Mr. Cumberbatch’s attorney, since long before I took you on as a client. So, I’m afraid I’m going to have to resign from your case; I will get one of my colleagues over here immediately.” Justin took out his cell phone and made the call. Tom heard him speaking, but couldn’t really understand the words. Justin finished the call and looked at Tom with sympathy. “OK, my firm is sending M.E. Douglas to represent you as your council.”

“Wait, what?” Tom said, dazed. “But you’ve been my lawyer…”

“Not as long as I’ve been Ben’s,” Justin said gently. “Mary is excellent. You won’t be sorry to have her.”

“Mary?” Tom asked, confused. “I thought you said her name was Emmy?”

“M period, E period,” Justin said. “Mary Elizabeth. She’s young and hungry, and she has an excellent record. She’ll be able to handle this for you. And she’s on her way.”

It actually took about 15 minutes for Mary to arrive. The same police officer from before opened the door and ushered her in.

She strode in confidently, and Tom at once felt at ease. He’d been concerned to lose Justin, but always a realist, he knew it wouldn’t do any good to argue about it, and Mary did seem to project an air of competence.

“At this point, I’m going to excuse myself,” Justin said. “Mr. Hiddleston, I resign from your employ. Mary, I leave him in your capable hands.”

“Thank you, Justin,” Mary said, studying Tom silently. Justin gathered his things, said, “Good luck, Tom,” and left the room.

Mary continued to stand for a minute, and Tom was beginning to be uncomfortable. “I’d stand,” he said apologetically, ”but…” he shook his wrist, cuffed to the rail on the table.

Mary frowned and sat in the seat that Justin had just vacated. “Why are you still cuffed, anyway?” She held out her left hand, and after a moment, Tom took it in a left-handed shake. ”I’m Mary Elizabeth Douglas. You can call me Mary, or M.E., or Douglas. No ‘miss‘ or ‘Ms.’, or any of that nonsense, thank you very much. I gather from Justin that it’s a conflict of interest with him that has brought me here.”

“So he said,” Tom said, agitated.

“So, tell me what this is about,” Mary said crisply. “Your version.”

Once again, Tom related the whole story, starting with the bachelor party this time. “And that’s where I’m at,” he finished bitterly. “Ben’s wedding is at 1:00 this afternoon. I’m supposed to be there; clearly that’s not going to happen…”

Mary looked at him for a moment, then spoke. “Well, the way I see it, Tom – is it OK if I call you Tom? — all we have to do to get you out of here is to contact Mr. Cumberbatch.”

A horrible conflicted look came over Tom’s face. He bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t,” he said quietly, refusing to meet her eyes. “I can’t give him up on his wedding day. His fiancée is pregnant. I can’t do this to her.”

“Well, let me tell you what this looks like, then. You admit you were present at the party with the victim. You admit you were drinking. You were found at the scene of the accident, with no one else around but the victim, who was clearly not driving.”

“The cab driver?” Tom offered hopefully.

“Who, by your admission, took Mr. Cumberbatch home. If you’re not willing to just tell the police the truth about him and give him up, do you really want to bring the cab driver in to talk about it?”

Tom looked at her bleakly. “I’m fucked, aren’t I?“ he asked hopelessly. “The only way out of this for me is to turn in my friend, on the eve of his marriage to his pregnant fiancée… what kind of a cad would that make me?“ he finished in a whisper.

“I’m going to contact his attorney, see what his official story is,” Mary said. “Maybe he’ll be honest, come clean.”

“After the way he left me last night, I’m not going to hold my breath,” Tom said sullenly, “But yes, please, do contact him.”

The police detectives assigned to his case came in to introduce themselves. “I’m Detective Gallin,” said the older of the two, “and this,” he said indicating the other man, “is Detective Marsh.”

“We’re not quite ready to make our statement yet,” Mary said. “I’d say within the hour. And I don’t know that we’ll have much to say. And, Mr. Hiddleston would like to know how the young woman is.”

Detective Gallin leveled a look at Tom. “Ms. Brandstock is in a coma. The doctors are amazed that she is still with us. Apparently, there is a good chance that she may actually pull through. Which, quite frankly, would be a really good thing for you, Mr. Hiddleston. You’d best be praying to whatever god you worship for such a thing.”

Marsh spoke now for the first time. “Let us know when you’re ready to give your statement.” And the two detectives left.

After waiting for what seemed forever, but was probably just a few minutes, Tom thought, Mary’s phone rang, and she answered it. “It’s Justin,” she mouthed to Tom, and held up one finger while she spoke with him. “Can we do speaker, Mr. Carstairs?” she asked, then nodded, catching Tom’s eye. “Switching now,” and she set up and placed the phone between them on the table.

“We would like to know what Mr. Cumberbatch has to say about this situation,” Mary said. It was noon, and Tom was sure he probably wasn’t even there. He was getting married in less than an hour.

“Mr. Cumberbatch is unavailable at this time for comment,” Justin said now, in a neutral voice, continuing what Tom had thought. “I did speak with him this morning. He claims ignorance of the entire affair.”

“How does he explain the fact that it was his car that was involved in the accident?” Mary asked, deadpan.

“Mr. Cumberbatch states that he loaned the vehicle to Mr. Hiddleston after his bachelor party last night. What became of it, he had no knowledge until I told him. This is his statement,” Justin‘s voice really did give nothing away. The actor in Tom couldn’t help but be impressed.

But Mary had a perfect poker face as she asked, “Does Mr. Cumberbatch want to comment on the statement that was made by a certain cab driver?” Tom thought that she would definitely give Justin a run for his money.

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Mary gave Tom a thumbs up. After a moment or so, Justin said, “I will have to contact Mr. Cumberbatch and get his statement on that. I understand you need this information quickly so that you can give your statement to the police. I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

He hung up, and Mary looked at Tom, a brow raised. “Ball in their court now,” she said quietly.

“If Ben will even talk to him,” Tom said hopelessly. ”I doubt his phone is even turned on.”

But after about ten minutes, Mary’s phone rang again. “Douglas,” she answered it. Tom watched as she listened, and then she said, “Let me put you on speaker.” Again, she set up, then said, “Mr. Cumberbatch, are you sure you want to make a statement without your lawyer present?”

Tom immediately blurted out, “Ben, you bastard! I spent the night handcuffed to a table at the police station because of you! You come clean and get me out here!”

Mary drew a finger across her throat in a ”cut it” gesture. “Well, Mr. Cumberbatch?” she said.

Tom couldn’t believe it when he heard Ben speak calmly. “Ms. Douglas,” Mary cringed, “tell Tom that I’m so sorry. I never should have let him take my car last night. Was he hurt?” Mary looked at Tom and shook her head, making a shhh gesture with her index finger against her lips. “Right now, the police believe that story, that Mr. Hiddleston was driving your vehicle. He told them that it was not him, but so far, he has only referred to you as a “friend.” He has not referred to you by name.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ben said now. ”Tom borrowed my car last night. I went home.”

“Is that really how you want to play this?” Mary asked. “What do you think a certain cab driver might say?”

There was silence, and then Ben spoke directly to Tom. ”Tom,” he gasped, and Tom could hear that he was crying. ”Tom, just let me get through today. Let me marry Linda. Please don’t say anything yet. Don’t give me away!”

“Does your attorney approve of you making this statement?” Mary asked, a shark-like smile on her face. Tom was suddenly glad she was on his side.

“Fuck, I don’t know!” Ben wailed. “I’m getting married in half an hour! I have to go!” and with that, he hung up.

“So there you have it, Tom,” Mary said, looking at him speculatively. “Are you going to tell on him, or not?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is such a hard story to write, and I hope I’m doing OK with it. The downer stuff is just so against-my-nature, it’s really fucking hard! At least Tom doesn’t have a broken heart in a romantic way. This chapter was the hardest thing I’ve ever written, had to rewrite a lot of it, and I’m still not totally happy with it, but I think it will do, Let me know if you like it.

Fall

Chapter 3

The afternoon after his arrest, he’d finally been forced to make a statement. He and Mary had discussed it, and she’d argued with him, but in the end she’d – quite literally – thrown up her hands and written what he’d asked her to write. He’d signed it, and then called for Detectives Gallin and Marsh to come in. They’d set up their video camera and recorded him reading it.

“My name is Thomas William Hiddleston. This is my statement about the events that occurred on the [Date]. At approximately 2:00 am on the previously noted date, I was asleep in my room at my home, which is located at [address]. I was awaked by a call which came on my cell phone. The caller was a friend of mine. For reasons of my own, I am choosing not to reveal the identity of this person. I shall refer to this person in this statement as ”my friend,” and use the pronouns “they” and ”them“ when referring to this person.

As I’ve previously stated, I was awakened by the phone call from my friend. They stated that they had been in an accident and that the person who was with them, who turned out to be Rose Brandstock, was hurt. They asked me to come help them, and gave me an address. I had been at a party earlier, and I did not feel I should be driving, so I called a taxi. When I got to the scene of the accident, I found my friend there. The car appeared to be totaled, and Ms. Brandstock looked to be very badly hurt. I called 112 for an ambulance, and my friend got scared and panicked. They took off in the cab I had come in, which I had asked to wait. I don’t know where they went.

The ambulance arrived, and took Ms. Brandstock to the hospital. The police arrived and arrested me. I want to categorically state that I was not present when the accident occurred. I was never even in that car, letting alone driving it, and it does not belong to me. I don’t know anything else about the accident, other than those things I’ve said in this statement, with the exception of the identity of my friend, which I am choosing not to reveal. This is my statement.

Signed, Thomas William Hiddleston

Mary had tried repeatedly to get to Tom to let her help him, to give up Ben, but he still refused. She had gone behind his back, and tried to find the cab driver, to get his statement, but the man had seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. The cab company had records proving that the driver had indeed picked someone up at Tom’s address at the time he stated, but he had not reported in when he went off duty, so there was no record of him having taken Ben home. Mary wanted to subpoena the cab company’s records, but Tom had found out about it and wouldn’t allow it.

With his statement, and his refusal to come to his own defense, Tom had basically left Mary no options. He wouldn’t allow her to do anything that would help his case, and basically, he’d had to plead no contest to Criminal Vehicular Operation, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

And so, he was hauled off and thrown in jail. For the most part, he was treated like every other prisoner, except that he had no roommate, and the guards watched him like a hawk. Mary had told him that it was for his own protection; high profile prisoners were often afforded additional protection, to make sure someone didn’t try to take them out to gain notoriety.

Now, here he sat in the common room on visitor’s day, in his orange jumpsuit, wondering if anyone would come to see him this week. He’d been here for almost a month now, three and a half weeks, having spent the night of his arrest handcuffed to that table in the interrogation room, and an additional 2 nights in the station lock up, before being transported here. Jail. He was in fucking jail. With no end in sight, at least not for the next 10 years.

He started, jerking in his seat, when someone touched his shoulder and said, “Tom.” It was Luke, and Tom jumped to his feet and pulled the other man into a tight hug, tears trickling down his face. “Oh, Luke, it’s so good to see you,” Tom said brokenly. “I’m dying in here.”

Luke awkwardly patted Tom’s back, trying to comfort him, until Tom drew away, and, gesturing at one of the uncomfortable chairs sitting around the table said, “Sit down. Tell me what’s new. What’s going on outside in the real world.”

Luke looked at Tom assessingly. Truth be told, Tom looked better than Luke would have thought. His hair was growing out, and left to its own devices, was taking on a more natural blond hue, and was becoming quite curly. Tom hadn’t shaved for several days, and his face had that scruffy look that used to drive his fan girls wild. “You look good, Tom,” Luke said now. “Rested, even.”

“Well, three weeks in this place will do that to you,” Tom said with a chuckle. “How are mum and Emma?”

Luke rubbed a hand over his face. “They’re as well as can be expected, Tom,” he said. “I tried to get Emma to come today, but she had something else going on. She said maybe next week.”

Tom took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t blame her for not wanting to come here.”

Luke looked him in the eye. ”Tom,” he said sternly, “are you tired of this yet? If you just tell them what really happened, they’ll let you out of here. When are you gonna give up this nobility? It’s not too late; I could still save your career, but the longer this goes on, the less chance we’ll have.”

Tom bit his lip. “Luke, I can’t. I just know that Ben will do the right thing. I know him, he won’t leave me languishing here for long.”

“You have a lot more faith in him than I have,” Luke said cynically.

“You’ll see,” Tom said uncertainly. The two men talked for a while, Luke sharing news and gossip, and Tom was glad to have someone from outside to talk to. But, Luke still had other work to do; Tom wasn’t his only client. “I have to go now, Tom,” he said, “but I’ll be back next week, and I’ll try to bring Emma.“

They both stood and embraced once more. “Thanks, man, I appreciate it,“ Tom said, and watched as Luke turned and walked away.

Tom sat back down, staring into space. Lately, his thoughts were preoccupied more and more with Mary. She came to see him every week as well, but she came on attorney day, which was the day after visiting day, so, it would be tomorrow. Tom had come to look forward so much to her visits, even though she spent the majority of their time together trying to convince Tom to give up Ben. Just like Luke did, Tom thought. It was infuriating, and drove him fucking crazy, but her visits were the high point of his week.

He figured it was common for a convict to fall for their attorney, if that attorney was of the opposite sex and reasonably attractive. Well, Mary was of the opposite sex, and he, Tom, was straight, and she was more than reasonably attractive. She was, in fact, stunning. And it was true, that since she was the only female he saw regularly, he was… projecting on her, he thought they would call it. Last week, he’d had to hide the erection just seeing her walking across the room had caused. Wanking had become a daily activity, and more and more, it was Mary he thought about while he was doing it.

He was so caught up in his daydreams of Mary, that when he saw a tall figure striding across the common room towards him, he thought he was hallucinating. He stood, glaring, as Ben approached, holding his hands out, palms towards Tom in a placating gesture.

“You!” Tom spat, “how dare you come here, you incredible bloody bastard?”

“Now, Tom, just calm down,” Ben said, attempting to sound soothing. “Can we just sit down and talk?”

Tom’s stare could have cut glass. ”The only thing I want to hear you say, is that you’re gonna come clean and get me out of here!”

Both men sat, and Ben looked at Tom, embarrassed. “I’m sorry Tom,“ he said quietly. “I’m going to, I promise. I’m just here to beg you to let me wait until after the baby is born. It’s only two more months…”

Tom slammed a hand down on the table and Ben jumped, and a guard standing against the wall looked over, but not seeing any threat, he met Tom’s eyes and shook his head is admonition, and Tom gave him a little nod and a gentle smile of appreciation.

“Two more months in this hellhole, Ben?” Tom hissed. “For what? Because I was fucking nice enough to answer your phone call at 2:00 in the fucking morning?”

Ben rubbed a hand over his mouth. “God, Tom, I’m so sorry. I feel terrible…"

“The only reason we’re not reversed around this table, is because I haven’t given you up!“ Tom bit out. ”And the only reason I haven’t given you up, is Linda and the baby. It has nothing to do any more with the fact that we USED to be friends!” Tom paused breathing heavily, and stood, pointing towards the door. “Now leave.”

Ben sighed, looking at Tom sadly. “I promised, Tom,” he said, "and I mean it. As soon as the baby is born, I’ll come forward. I’ll make them let you out…” He stood, and with a last look at Tom over his shoulder, left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, the smut chapter! So, that’s what’s here…
> 
> And, here’s my disclaimer: OK, so, I’m not an attorney, or a police officer or anything, and I’m an American, and I don’t know all the ways the legal system in the UK differs from that of the USA. Please forgive me for any mistakes, and allow me literary licence! So, it’s fiction, OK? Thanks for reading. Let me know if you like it! As always, enjoy!

Fall

Chapter 4

For the second day in a row, Tom found himself waiting at the same table in the common room. The wardrobe today consisted of orange scrubs. God, he fucking hated orange. When he got out of here, he was going to burn everything he owned that was orange.

But Mary should be here soon. He didn’t know if he had the energy to argue with her today. And he wasn’t sure why she came every week; she knew he wasn’t going to listen to her. But he sure did look forward to her visits, more than to his friends on visitor’s day. And his cock looked forward to her visits, too, he thought wryly, as it twitched, stiffening, in his trousers. At least in these loose scrubs, it wasn’t quite as noticeable.

And there she was, in her calf-length skirt, her soft sweater, her knee-high, low-heeled boots coming towards him across the common room floor. And suddenly, his dick was standing at attention, and he knew that that knowing smirk that used to drive his fan girls wild was decorating his face. Making a little sound of disgust at himself, he tried to exercise a modicum of control.

Mary stopped in front of Tom’s table, looking down at him. She could see the pent-up energy radiating from his body. Being cooped up inside here was eating him up, and once again, she felt a huge pang of regret that she had not been successful in convincing him to give up his well-intentioned but ultimately, idiotic noble gesture of taking the fall.

“Good morning, Tom,” she said in greeting. “Shall we?” She held out her arm in a ‘come with me’ gesture and headed for the attorney/client conference room that they always used. Silently, Tom rose and followed her.

Once inside, she closed the door and stood looking at him. ”How are you holding up today, Tom?” she asked quietly.

Tom bit his lip, and looked at her with puppy eyes. “I’m dying in here, Mary. And I know it’s my fault, so save it.’’ He ran a hand through his hair, pacing as much as the small space would allow. “What I wouldn’t give to go on a run, see some trees, smell the sea, hold a girl in my arms…”

He had his back to her, and started when he felt her hand on his shoulder. Whipping around, he found her standing too close. He looked down at her, his eyes glittering. He had to strain to hear her when she whispered, “I can help with that last part.”

His lip curled, and reaching out, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his embrace. Her arms went around him, and she rubbed her palms soothingly over his back. He could tell by the way she was holding her body, that she meant it to be a comforting hug, a warm, human connection between friends. But his body had other ideas, springing to life in his trousers.

He fought his instincts, struggling to accept her comfort for what she intended it to be, and for a minute or so, he thought he might be successful. But then his baser nature got the best of him, and softly, subtly, he began to press his mouth against her hair. She was either pretending to be, or was genuinely unaware, as he continued nuzzling. But when his open mouth connected with the skin behind her ear, she gasped and pulled away, looking up at him in shock. His face a mask of want, he held tightly to her shoulders, pulling her body back against his.

“Don’t, Mary,” he whispered, ghosting his mouth across her face, teasing her lips, barely touching, til she ached with it. ”Let me,” he sighed, and fastened his mouth over hers.

Mary pressed herself tight against him, hands and mouth frantic, sucking his tongue into her mouth and meeting it with her own. She’d been fighting this attraction to him for weeks, and now he had caught her in a weak moment. She moaned low in her throat and Tom gave an answering groan. He brushed one hand over the front of her sweater, feeling her nipples harden through the double layers of fabric.

Mary was breathing heavy and moisture was pooling between her thighs. But she was Tom’s attorney, and she could be disbarred for this. Was it worth her career? “Tom, I can’t do this,“ she tried, fighting to gain some kind of control, to be reasonable, to think of the consequences. Trying to pull away. His arms were stronger, his kiss more potent, his words more arousing. “Mary, please,” he breathed. “I need this… I have to…”

His hand was now under her sweater, gently pinching through her bra, and she became aware that somehow, she had managed to totally remove his scrub top. Her hands were rubbing all over his chest and back, his skin warm and smooth, the muscles firm. She could feel his erection pressing into her abdomen.

This was a force of nature she didn’t think she could deny. And what was more, she didn’t think she wanted to deny it. ”Tom, I quit,” she whispered, and crashed her mouth to his.

Tom was pretty much past coherent thought; somewhere in the back of his mind her words registered. He filed them away for future reference. He pulled her bra cups down and took a nipple in his mouth, sucking lightly and teasing it with his tongue, and she gasped and cradled his head in her hands, holding him to her. He switched sides and she gasped again. She slipped her hand into the waist band of his scrub pants and wrapped her fingers around his hard length. He moaned and bucked into her hand.

Tom couldn’t help it. It had been too long, and he’d been fantasizing about her too much. He thrust rhythmically into her hand, and putting his mouth near her ear, his voice dripped with need as he said lowly, “Please Mary, please let me fuck you. I have to…”

He turned her around and bent her over the table, and bunching up her skirt, he grasped her damp knickers and tore them clean off her. He was thrusting his hardness against her ass as he inserted two fingers into her pussy. Finding her dripping, he moaned, and lining himself up, hilted himself in one smooth motion.

“Fuck, Mary, you’re so tight and wet,” he murmured, and he began thrusting long and slow. Mary pushed back against him, needing more friction, and he reached one hand around her and found her clit. He kept up a litany of curse words, interspersed with her name, muttering low in her ear, and Mary felt herself getting closer and closer.

Tom’s thrusts grew faster and faster, his rhythm broke down, and he began rutting uncontrollably. “I’m gonna come, Mary,“ he growled. “Please, please, you’ve got to come for me. Fuck, Mary!”

Mary felt her climax begin a mere moment before she felt Tom stiffen against her. Her walls milked his orgasm of every drop, and he collapsed over her back, moaning his pleasure, as they rode out their peaks together.

“Just give me a minute,” Tom whispered, a hint of a chuckle in his voice. “Can’t feel my legs.”

“Take your time, Tom,” Many said wryly, giving herself permission to be amused by their situation.

After a few minutes, Tom was able to stand, and he pulled his scrub pants back over himself, then helped Mary stand up. He smoothed down her skirt, and pulled up her bra and down her sweater, then he pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently and tucking her head under his chin. ”Thank you, Mary. That made me feel better than all the useless talking we’ve been doing.”

Mary nestled against his chest, holding him tightly. “Good,” she said softly. “I hope it was worth it, because it complicates things no end.”

Tom pulled away from her, looking at her worriedly. “What do you mean?’’ he asked. “Nothing needs to change!”

“It already has, Tom,” she said quietly. “Sit down. I need to explain it to you.”

Tom still had that worried look, and he licked his lips and sat down at the small table. Mary sat next to him and took his hand. She swallowed, and looked at him, then lifted her free hand and brushed it over his cheek. “You were probably a bit too, um, distracted to notice when I said I quit, Tom. But I said it, so technically, I haven’t done anything wrong, other than, now that I’m not your attorney, I no longer have access to this room, so I’m going to explain this as quickly as I can, so don’t say anything, just listen.”

She paused to collect herself, while Tom just looked at her, eyes wide. She squeezed his hand and continued. “We can’t do what we just did if I’m your attorney, so, I’m not. Not anymore. So, please don’t say anything more to me about this case, because it is no longer protected. I’m going to turn your case over to my colleague Caleb Porth. I’d trust him with my life.”

Tom spoke now, his voice anguished, “But Mary, I need to see you. Surely you understand that I have feelings for you.”

Mary looked down at their clasped hands, then back up at his face. “I understand that a lot of men in your position fall for their attorneys. The feelings seem real at the time.”

“I thought that, too, at first,” Tom said earnestly, ”but honestly, Mary, I think I’m really, genuinely falling in love with you.”

Mary gave him a wistful smile. “It’s not that I doubt you, Tom,” she said sadly, “it’s just that I’ve seen it too many times before!”

“Well, what about you?” he asked stubbornly. “What are your feelings for me?”

Mary looked away. “I don’t think this is productive, or getting us anywhere,” she said, pulling her hand away from his grasp and standing up. “I need to go.”

Tom stood as well, and then pulled her back into his arms. “I don’t believe you,” he said flatly, and crushed his mouth to hers. Mary resisted for as long as she could, and then with a whimper, she kissed him back. Tom made a sound of triumph back in his throat, and deepened the kiss. He pulled away slowly, putting his forehead against hers. ”Fine, you’re no longer my attorney,” he said with satisfaction. ”Then it’s perfectly ethical for you to be my girlfriend. You’ll still come to visit me next week, just on visitor’s day, not attorney day,” he said, and it was a statement, not a question.

She nodded, tangling her hands in his hair, and bringing his mouth to hers. ”And I’ll bring Caleb to meet you tomorrow. I’ll get him up to speed this afternoon. And just maybe, he’ll be successful in persuading you to help yourself out here, where I’ve failed.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I wish I could say this was hard for me to write, but it actually came out of me pretty easily, which kinda shocks and disgusts me. It will be hard to read, I imagine. I thought about doing worse, but settled for this, which was my middle idea. Sooo,
> 
> extra warnings: physical abuse (beating), prison gang rape (oral)
> 
> It’s pretty brutal, for me. You’ve been warned.
> 
> I’m sorry.

Fall

Chapter 5

“Your attorney’s here to meet with you,” said the guard who came to fetch him the next day. The fellow was looking at him speculatively, and he supposed the gossip was all about how his pretty lawyer was no longer his lawyer. Fuck it, let them speculate, Tom thought, as he put a bookmark in his place in the book he was reading. He rose and followed the guard to the same attorney/client conference room that he’d — fucked? — Made love to?— Had? Mary in yesterday. He wasn’t sure what to call what they’d done. But he’d been telling her the truth yesterday when he’d told her that he thought he was actually, truly falling in love with her. She hadn’t said how she was feeling — as far as Tom was concerned, that meant that she DID have feelings for him. If she didn’t, why wouldn’t she have just said so? And she sure didn’t try very hard to resist him, either. Well, he was looking forward to seeing her again, and certainly, that room would never look the same to him again…

But they’d arrived, and the guard opened the door and ushered him through, then closed it behind him. The man sitting there rose to his feet, holding out a hand, but Tom just stood there looking at him blankly. “Where’s Mary?” he asked, a little frown between his brows.

“I would have thought she would have explained things to you,” the man said in a low, lyrical voice. “I’m Caleb Porth. I’ll be handling your case from now on.”

Tom pursed his lips, then stuck out his own hand and Caleb shook it. “She did,” he said quietly, nodding. “I think I was just in denial. I expected her to, I don’t know, introduce you or something, I guess.”

The two men sat down, and Caleb looked at Tom assessingly. “Yes, she wanted to. The guards wouldn’t allow it. It’s not visitor’s day, after all, and as she’s no longer your attorney…”

“I understand,” Tom said. “I don’t like it, but I do understand.”

“So,” Caleb said, looking rather piercingly at Tom, “I believe Mary has filled me in on everything, but I wanted to at least meet with you and touch base, as I gather you didn’t really discuss your case at all yesterday when you were with Mary.”

Tom thought that Caleb’s eyes were twinkling, although his mouth posture was neutral; but Tom found himself wondering just what all Mary had actually told him. Tom guessed coming totally clean was probably the right way to start this association. “I assume Mary told you why she’s resigned as my attorney,“ he said frankly. “She quit before anything happened, and she’s my girlfriend now.” Tom’s expression dared Caleb to say anything criticizing.

“Yes, that is what she said,” Caleb said gently.” And relax, Mr. Hiddleston. It’s not my place to judge.”

“Please, call me Tom,” he said, taking a deep breath and leaning back in his chair.

“Tom,“ Caleb said. “So, let me see if I have it all. You’re in here because you won’t give up the person who was really driving the vehicle the night of the accident in which Rose Brandstock was injured. But you do know who it is. Am I correct?”

“Yes,” Tom said stubbornly, his mouth firm. “And I’m assuming Mary told you the whole story, the phone call in the middle of the night, who it was, and the reason I can’t tell anyone about it.”

“Yes; Mary did tell me, Tom,” Caleb said shrewdly.” Am I right that this is not so much about Mr. Cumberbatch as it is about his pregnant wife and unborn child?”

Tom just nodded, his mouth held in a straight line. ”As far as I’m concerned, Benedict can go fuck himself,” he said wrathfully. “But Linda never asked for any of this, and she and the baby are innocent.”

Caleb nodded. “Well, it might surprise you to know, but I don’t intended to try to change your mind about giving him up.”

Tom’s eyes jerked up to look at him. “Really?” he asked disbelievingly. “Well, that would be a breath of fresh air!”

“Yes,” Caleb said, a faint smile on his face. ”I’ve been in contact with Justin Carstairs. I think we need to convince Mr. Cumberbatch to change his mind!”

“Good luck with that,“ Tom said cynically. “He came to see me yesterday, on visitor’s day.” And Tom chuckled at the surprised look on Caleb’s face. ”He said he’d come clean after the baby is born. That’s another two months.”

“Hmmm,” Caleb rubbed his jaw, thinking a moment. “Have you heard a recent update on Ms. Brandstock’s condition?”

Tom shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. ”No,” he said. “I know Mary checks regularly, but I haven’t thought to ask how she’s doing. Not very compassionate of me, I guess, but since my conscience is clear where it comes to her, I’m afraid I often forget that the poor woman is in a coma.”

Caleb took a sheet of paper out of a folder and handed it to Tom. Tom began to read it and Caleb said, “So, this is the result of the latest brain scan. It actually shows relatively normal brain activity, and there’s very real hope that she could wake up any day now.”

“Oh, my, that’s wonderful news,” Tom said with a big smile. “How unbelievably exciting for her family.”

Cabob looked at him curiously. “You really are a genuinely nice guy, aren’t you, Tom?” he said with a grin.

“I like to think so,” Tom said quietly, his smile fading.

Caleb ran a hand over his jaw. “Have you thought of what it could mean to you if she does wake up?” he asked.

Tom just shook his head. “I can’t think anymore,” he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes. “You tell me. What could it mean?”

“Well,” Caleb said, brows raised. “If she wakes up and doesn’t remember the accident, it won’t change a thing.” He paused, looking at Tom, his eyes narrowed, watching the thoughts spinning in Tom’s head. “Do you see it?” he asked.

Tom turned pale. “If she wakes up and remembers the accident…” he whispered, his voice traveling off.

“Yes,” Caleb said with a certain satisfaction. “If she wakes up remembering, then she can tell them it wasn’t you, that you weren’t even there.”

“I need to warn Ben…” Tom gasped.

Caleb looked at him as if he were crazy. “You would do that? What kind of noble, crazy nut are you?”

Tom bit his lip. “I just need to protect Linda and the baby,” he said so quietly that Caleb had to strain to hear. “Contact Justin and make sure they are on it.” At Caleb’s expression of protest, Tom just gave him a level look. ”Please don’t think about it, or argue. Please. Just do it.”

As Tom was headed back to his room after meeting with Caleb, he allowed himself to feel a little hope. He was deep in thought, not paying much attention to what was going on around him, when a hand reached out from a dark doorway, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into a dimly-lit room. Tom knew it was the prison laundry, and he tried to tamp down his fear, but he knew that this was probably not going to end well for him. There were four of them, and they were big, and they looked mean. He was taller than the tallest of them, but each of them outweighed him by more than a hundred pounds. Tom knew his only chance would be to cooperate, he thought he knew what was coming, and he was more scared than he’d ever been in his life.

“Hey there, pretty boy,” said one of the men, the biggest one, probably the leader; Tom thought is name was Ray-Dog, something like that. When Tom didn’t answer, Ray-Dog cuffed him across the face, and said, “I said, hey there. Think you’re too good to talk to me just because you’re a fancy actor in movies?“ He cuffed Tom again, and Tom felt his lip split. He saw his blood go flying. “You’re in here, with us. That means you’re no better than we are!”

“But he is pretty, Ray,” one of the others — Tom had no idea what his name was — whined, leering at Tom. “We’re gonna fuck him, right?”

Tom went cold all over, and he froze with fear.

“That depends on how well he sucks my dick,” said Ray, undoing his trousers. “If he does a great job of that, I might wait til next time to fuck him. Let him get used to the idea. You two, ‘help’ him into position.”

Two of the brutes got on either side of him, pushing down on his shoulders, trying to get him to go to his knees, but his instincts took over, and he resisted, which earned him another cuff across the face, a punch in the stomach, and a kick to the groin. He let out a little “oof,” and fell to the floor. The fourth fellow pulled him into a kneeling position and propped him up with arms wrapped tight around his chest, and he was held firm as Ray approached him, erect cock in hand. Tom tried to relax his mouth and throat as Ray said, “Open.” Tom did as he was told, and Ray began thrusting as he fucked Tom’s mouth. Tom tried to make his mind go blank, but he knew if Ray wasn’t pleased, worse than even this, would be done to him, so he forced himself to hold a vacuum in his mouth, sheathing his teeth, tears of pain and humiliation running down his face. Ray fisted his hair and pulled hard, as he continued shoving his erection down Tom’s throat. Finally, he stiffened and came, yelling, “Swallow, Bitch!” and he roared.

Each of the other three men had their turn, and when they were all finished, Ray spat on him, and said, “He’s done for tonight. If we kill him, we’ll never get to fuck him, so let’s leave him be.”

They left, but each of them in turned kicked him as they walked out, and as Tom laid there on the laundry room floor, bleeding, covered in sweat and come, his last thoughts as he lost consciousness was to wonder how long it would take someone to find him, and how many bones he had broken.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Glad that’s over! This chapter’s a little better, considering. Thanks if you’re still reading! I love you! Let me know if you like it, and as always, enjoy!

Fall

Chapter 6

Pain. Not intense; muffled, but pain. Restriction, somehow. It was nebulous, but there. Tom held still, slowly coming back to himself, willing himself to stay calm, to not panic, to not struggle, as he struggled. One thing at a time. He focused on his breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

He was lying on a bed; the linen was stiff, scratchy. The pain coalesced in his side, his hand, his head, his jaw. Oh god, his jaw was one flaming mass of pain, flaring. He tried to raise his hands to his face; only one came, the other was restrained. He remembered.

“He’s waking,” someone said quietly, but excitedly. A soft voice, sweet, soothing. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes.

He felt a hand on his face, but he couldn’t make his eyes focus. He tried to open his mouth, but the pain was excruciating. ”Tom, don’t try to talk.” He knew her voice; it was Mary, and she softy stroked his cheek, just a barest whisper of a touch. “You’re in the prison infirmary. Caleb insisted that they let us in. Luke is here, and your mum, and Emma. And me.”

He tried again to speak, but there was something wrong with his mouth. He gave a little moan, and finally, his eyes focused, and he looked up at her.

She had a distressed look on her face, brows drawn down, her eyes tight. “Your jaw’s broken,” she said painfully. “So you aren’t going to be able to speak. They’ve wired your mouth shut.”

The rest of his visitors were now crowded around the bed. His mum had been crying, but Emma looked ok — always the optimist, which he admired so much, as you might imagine. Luke just stood there glaring. “This is all your own fault,” he muttered, and stepped away. So much for sympathy, Tom thought, wincing.

Mary leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. He let out an inquiring sound, and caught her eye, his full of pleading.

“What does he want”? his mum asked, wringing her hands, worry written all over her features.

Even though she and Tom hadn’t known each other for very long, they had spent so much time together that Mary knew what he was asking. “The doctor figures you laid there for just over an hour before the first laundry shift found you,” she said quietly. “You have three broken ribs on the right side, two on the left, three broken bones in the fingers of your right hand. And your broken jaw. Multiple cuts, bruises, and contusions, but other than the broken ribs, you have no internal injuries. You were very lucky. It’s a miracle that you don’t have any ruptured organs.”

“Mmmm,” Tom grunted, trying to raise his left hand.

“You’re cuffed to the bed,” she said angrily. “It was one of the conditions we had to agree to before they would let us come in to see you.”

He was able to raise his right hand, and he brought it up, studying the bandages. “Mmmm?” he asked, waving it gently.

“Four to six weeks for your fingers, three to six weeks for the ribs,” Mary answered, again, just knowing what he was asking. ”Three to six months for your jaw, although they will unwire it in about a mouth and a half.”

He sighed, dropping his hand back down to the bed, shaking his head. Emma now stepped closer, patting his shoulder and looking worried. “I’m sorry it’s your right hand that’s broken,” she said sympathetically. “You won’t even be able to write to us for a while.”

***

The first shift laundry workers had reported for work, to find Tom unconscious on the floor. Most of the blood had dried, and he was crusty. The fingers of his right hand were at an unnatural angle, his breathing was wheezy, and his jaw was out of place. The guards that supervised the crew called for backup, and the infirmary had sent paramedics to fetch him.

They had called Caleb, and he had called Mary and Luke, and then they had called the others. Mary had stormed the prison, insisting they let her in to see him, and the warden had agreed, however insisting that he be restrained. Luke had shown up about forty-five minutes later, Diana and Emma in tow.

Both of them had met Mary when she’d been Tom’s attorney, but neither one of them was aware of the specifics as to why she was no longer serving in that capacity, but one glance at the way she looked at him, left no one in doubt about her feelings for him. Silently, she’d hugged them both, and Luke, and then had resumed her vigil sitting by his side, her hand holding his gently, so as not to hurt his broken fingers.

"Where’s Caleb?" Luke had asked, and Mary had told him that Caleb was in the warden’s office, berating the man for having let this happen.“ Tom was supposed to have had extra protection detail, but no one had seen this happen, or even found him afterward, for over an hour, meaning he’d been off of any radar for over two hours, probably closer to three, and to Caleb, that was unacceptable. “Not my idea of extra protection detail,” he’d said angrily, and stormed off to find the warden.

Just then, the man himself came in the room. “Well, he’s safe enough for now,” he said quietly, “as he’ll be in here — oh, you’re awake!”

“How long will he be in here?” Mary asked. ”Probably a week or so,” Caleb answered. “And right here is going to be the safest place for him. As soon as we leave, they’ll take the cuffs off him, and get him up and moving. The next time we see him, he should look a lot more like what we’re used to seeing.”

Tom was feeling a little stronger, and when Caleb came in, he was frantic to find out if the attorney had contacted Ben’s people. He tried to say Caleb’s name, to get his attention, but again, no one could understand him, except Mary. “You want to talk to Caleb?” she asked, and he nodded eagerly, then winced as the motion hurt his broken jaw.

“I’ll have to ask the others to leave,” she said, and went and spoke quietly to Luke. Tom saw Luke nod, and gathering up Diana and Emma, the three of them came over to say goodbye. All three hugged him gingerly, Diana brushing his hair back from his forehead, kissing him gently. “We probably won’t be back til visiting day next week, unless you need us for any particular reason before that time,” Luke said. Tom just nodded slowly, to show he understood, and then the three of them left.

Mary then went to Caleb, putting her hand on his arm to get his attention. “He wants to talk to you,” she said. “I can translate.”

“OK,” Caleb said, moving closer to the bed so that Tom could see him. Tom’s noises were incomprehensible to the attorney, but when Mary told him what Tom was saying, Tom kept nodding in agreement, and Caleb realized just how close his colleague and his client had become.

“He wants to know if you’ve contacted Ben or his people about Ms. Brandstock waking up,” Mary said now.

Caleb spoke directly to Tom when he responded. “Yes, I called Justin and suggested that he might want to consider contacting her family. Of course, we have no idea of what her state of mind might be when she awakens, which it really appears should be any day now. Apparently, she is already showing signs of consciousness. But, if she were to wake feeling charitably disposed towards Mr. Cumberbatch, he might be able to offer her a deal in exchange for not pressing charges. Once she awakens, she would have that option, and then any possible sentence would be reduced to DUI, which is a damn sight better than what you got.”

Tom closed his eyes, slumping back against his pillows. He made another attempt at speech, and Mary said, ”He’s tired, he wants to take a nap.”

Caleb looked from Mary, to Tom, and back to Mary again. “I’ll go now, but I’ll be staying in touch. I don’t have to impress upon you to forget everything you hear Tom and I say to each other, of course.”

Mary gave Caleb a chiding look. “Duh, Caleb, l understand the interpreter rules. But, of course, I understand why you had to say that.”

Thanks, Mary,” he said quietly, touching her arm briefly, as he left, closing the door gently behind him.

Mary went back to her seat at Tom’s side, running her fingers gently through his hair and softly stroking his face. She marveled at how fast she had fallen in love with this man. She’d known his less than four months, and yet she was in so deep, she knew she would stay with him as long as he wanted her. But she didn’t have any illusions. She was sure that as soon as he was exonerated and out of prison, he would go back to his own life and forget all about her. She felt tears welling in her eyes, and impatiently dashed them away. Falling in love with him had been stupid, and she was sure she would pay for it with a broken heart. She bent forward, resting her head on the bed next to Tom’s arm, and soon, she was sleeping too.

Tom was dreaming, and it was lovely. In his dream, he was no longer in prison, and he and Mary were planning their wedding. Tom smiled in his sleep, and the movement hurt his jaw, and he awoke. His face softened when he saw Mary’s head pillowed on her arms on his bed, and he awkwardly ran his bandaged hand over her hair. She was so tired that she didn’t wake, she only murmured and turned her face towards him. Tom draped his arm across her shoulders, and closing his eyes, drifted off again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say about this chapter. Maybe one more, and possibly an epilogue. Aaaand, a sequel, because! So, Thanks for reading, let me know if you like it, and, as always, enjoy!

Fall

Chapter 7

Tom was in the prison infirmary for just shy of a week. The broken ribs – five, he had five broken ribs, he kept reminding himself — made moving about very difficult at first. And the wired jaw. Fuck! Tom Hiddleston with his jaw wired shut? How fucking funny was that? he asked himself ironically. But, he was alive, and he was mending. And in spite of everything, he felt safe. Caleb must have made an impression upon the warden, because Tom couldn’t go much further than two feet without encountering a guard. That was an exaggeration, and he thought it was possible that no one else noticed, but he himself did, and he was grateful. He’d heard that Ray-Dog and his cronies had been slapped in solitary, and that was also a relief, but he didn’t fool himself. He knew that the con was one of the alpha-dogs here in the prison; the man had other friends; if he wanted, he could send someone after Tom. Tom kept an eye out for the guards, and he watched his back.

Emotionally, psychologically, he supposed he was extremely lucky. He’d seen the prison shrink a couple of times, and would continue to do so, because he wasn’t OK. He still felt violated and humiliated, but intellectually, he knew that it wasn’t his fault, and he was pretty sure his self-confidence and security in himself, and who he was, would help pull him through.

So he returned back to prison life. They had to provide a special soft diet, and he was getting tired of yogurt and peanut butter, but he was glad to be alive. He spent about five minutes feeling bitter — if he hadn’t been falsely accused, convicted, and sent to prison, of course this would never have happened. But, it had, and he wasn’t going to waste any more time wringing his hands about it. Maybe someday he’d have a role in a prison film, and he’d have some actual experience to call upon.

Visitor’s day. Luke, mum, Emma, and, he hoped, Mary, would be coming. He took a book and camped out at his usual table in the common room. Luke was there first, but he didn’t stay long. He was still so angry with Tom for voluntarily taking the fall, but he was also amazed that Tom’s popularity, rather than waning, had actually waxed stronger than ever. Who’d have thought? Tom’s fans were so loyal, that they almost to a man — or to a woman, whatever — believed his story. Speculation ran wild over who he was protecting, the leading contenders being Chris Hemsworth, Cumberbatch, and Luke himself! Ridiculous!

Mum and Emma came and sat with him awhile; Emma brought him some new books, and mum worried over how skinny he’d become.

“Well, mum, it’s really difficult to eat,” he said through his teeth. It had taken over a week’s practice, but he could finally make himself understood most of the time. As the pain in his jaw lessened, it had become easier to move his lips, easier to form the words, and so he was much less frustrated.

After they left he was alone. The time trickled by. He wondered why Mary hadn’t come yet. He missed her. He would have expected her to have been here by now. He felt his lower lip pooch out, and knew that he looked like he was pouting. And he probably was.

And that’s how Mary found him, when she finally arrived. He gave her an accusing look. “Where were you?” he said, the fact that only his lips moved lessening the impact of his indignation. “I thought you’d be here sooner!”

On the day after his attack, Mary had awakened from her nap, head pillowed on the bed next to Tom. He’d been still asleep, but he had slung an arm around her, and as she’d awakened slowly, she‘d felt so cherished. She’d been surprised at how such a simple gesture could convey such a wealth of feeling. She’d gently worked her way out from under him, stretching, stiff from the awkward position she’d been sleeping in.

Tom had been dreaming, talking in his sleep, and she’d felt frozen when she’d heard him say, “India, love, I need you! You’ll come do it for me, won’t you, dearest?” His voice had been so garbled, but Mary had been translating for him all day; she knew that’s what he’d said.

Mary had felt her heart sink. Here, clearly, was Tom’s real love, and as soon as he was out of jail, and he felt worthy once more, he would go back to her. Mary knew that from here on, she’d have to guard her heart. Otherwise, she greatly feared that when Tom was done with her, she’d have nothing left.

So, as Mary crossed the common room on visitor’s day, she felt her stomach drop as she saw Tom sitting there at his table. She hadn’t been going to come today. She was going to stay away, start to cut the ties. She knew that the girl, Rose Brandstock, would wake soon, and once that happened, Tom would be out of here and back to his India. But she couldn’t stay away; she had to see him, and as she got closer to him, and sat down across from him, she couldn’t help chuckling at his pouty little face. “You look like you’re about five years old,” she said, biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

Tom gave her his puppy-eyed took. “I missed you, and then I was afraid you weren’t going to come at all.” He reached out and took both her hands across the table, squeezing them harder than he meant to, then wincing when it hurt his broken fingers.

“I’m here now,” she said quietly. “How are you, Tom?”

He bit his lip. “Better now that you’re here.” He pouted again. “I need a kiss!”

Mary gave him a half-smile, then walked around the table and pressed her lips to his cheek. He made a sound of protest, then pushing back his chair, rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms. He rubbed his cheek against hers, his sparse beard a little scratchy against her soft skin, then he pulled back enough that he could find her mouth with his own. He made a sound in his throat, then tucked her head under his chin, hugging her fiercely. “I can’t even kiss you properly, with my jaw wired shut like this.” He pulled back, cupping her face in one hand. “I love you, Mary Elizabeth,” he said softly.

Mary tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing another kiss to his mouth. “I love you, too, Tom,” she whispered.

“Sit by me,” Tom said, pulling a chair around the table next to his, and they sat, holding hands. “When I get out of here, I’m going to court you properly,” Tom said, as earnestly as he was able. Mary was amazed at just how expressive this man’s eyes were. “I’m going to take you to dinner, and to films, and eventually, there will be a premiere, and you’ll be on my arm on the Red Carpet. My fans will love you — you’re beautiful, smart, funny…”

“Sure Tom, whatever you say,” Mary said hollowly, hoping Tom wouldn’t notice. She was determined to stick by him while he was in prison, but as soon as he was out, she intended to get out of his way so that he could make a life with his India, whoever she was. She blinked rapidly.

“What’s wrong, love?” Tom asked, concern. Damn, the man never missed a thing.

“Nothing, Tom,” she said, smiling, wiping tears. ”Something’s just in my eye.”

“Let me see,” Tom said, pulling her close, peering in her eyes intently. “I don’t see anything,” he said, squinting.

“It’s OK now,” Mary said, pulling away. “I think l cried it out.”

Mary was looking at Tom, and Tom was looking out into the room. When a livid expression crossed his face, Mary looked out to see what he was seeing. Benedict Cumberbatch was striding across the common room floor. Tom stood, good hand clenched into a fist at his side, gritting his teeth.

Mary put her hand on his arm, pulling him back down into his chair. ”Would you like me to leave?” she murmured.

“No,“ he said, looking at her gratefully. “Stay, please. He’s alone, no lawyer, so it isn’t official, anyway. And I could use the moral support. And the restraint!”

Ben reached the table and pulled out a chair. ”Tom,” he said, brows raised, “Who’s your lovely lady?” he said, nodding to Mary.

“I’m Mary,” she said, holding out her hand. He took it briefly, then, glancing at Tom and seeing the look on his face, dropped it quickly. “Mary,” he said quietly.

“Mary is my girlfriend,” Tom snapped, as much as he could, with his broken jaw.

Ben did a double-take, looking at Tom. “My god, man, what’s wrong with your mouth?”

Tom brought his right hand out of his lap, placing it on the table. It was still lightly bandaged, as were his ribs. “Oh I don’t know,” Tom said sarcastically, ”it might have something to do with the beating and gang rape I went through a couple of weeks ago.”

“What?!!” Ben asked, shocked. “Oh, god, Tom, I’m so sorry!!” He buried his face in his hands.

“He was lucky,” Mary said quietly. “Three broken fingers, five broken ribs, and his jaw is broken.”

Tom bared his teeth. “Jaw’s wired shut,” he said. ”Thanks!”

Ben looked devastated. ”Tom, l came here today to tell you that I’ve met with Rose’s family. She’s showing more and more signs of waking every day.” He paused to take a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly. “They aren’t vindictive, they just want their daughter back. She was working in the club to put herself through school. Normally, she would never have gotten involved with a client like she did with me. I think… well, I think she was star-struck, and a little drunk. I’ve agreed to finance the rest of her schooling if she will drop the charges.” He ran one hand through his hair. “But, of course, she can’t do that til she wakes up…”

Tom shot him a dirty look. “If she even remembers anything when she wakes up,” he spat.

Ben looked at him, his expression raw. “Tom, this is over when she wakes up, no matter what. If she remembers, she’ll say it wasn’t you, and her family has promised to protect me, and to convince her to not reveal, and to not press charges. You’ll be released, and I will take care of Rose’s education.”

“What if she doesn’t remember anything?” Tom asked bleakly.

Ben swallowed hard. “If she doesn’t remember anything, then I’m coming forward. I’ll turn myself in, and confess, and they‘ll have to let you out of here. And that’s a promise, Tom. That’s a promise.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty then! So, thank you everybody who’s been reading this! I can’t tell you how excited I am by that! So, I think there’s probably only one more chapter and an epilogue, and then, I’ll be writing a sequel… AS ALWAYS, enjoy!

Fall

Chapter 8

The next day was attorney day, and Tom thought Caleb was going to visit him, so he took his book and headed for the common room. It wasn’t long before Caleb entered, striding swiftly across the room, a look of contained excitement on his face. He practically slid the last few feet, and Tom rose, and followed him to the attorney/client conference room. Caleb plopped down into a chair, grinning broadly. “She’s awake!” he said.

Tom smiled as well as he could around his wired jaw, and, taking a seat, said, ”That’s great news! Her family must be so relieved!”

Caleb sat up straight and looked at Tom for a moment. “I don’t know how anyone can imagine for one moment that you could ever be capable of doing a thing like this,” he said quietly. “You’re one of the least selfish people I’ve ever met.”

Tom blushed and looked away, running his good hand through his hair. “What? Because I’m glad for her family to get their daughter back?”

“Among other things,” Caleb said, continuing to eye him. “Anyway, she woke up early this morning. From what they will tell me, she is still disoriented, and the doctors won’t allow anyone to see her for a few days, they won’t give a definitive time frame. But the police have contacted me to say that as soon as they are allowed, they will be setting up a time to get a statement from her.”

Tom ran his fingertips across his lips. “Have the doctors said, does she have any memory of the accident?”

Caleb shook his head. “No, that’s information that the doctors have not released, as far as l can tell.”

“Well, that’s fine then,” Tom said quietly. “I’m just glad she is awake, and I hope, on her way to a complete recovery.”

“Yes,” Caleb said. “So, I spoke with Justin Carstairs this morning as well. I gather Mr. Cumberbatch was here to see you yesterday.”

Tom nodded. “Yes, he was. He promised that this would be over for me, no matter what, as soon as Ms. Brandstock has given the police her statement.”

“Yes, that’s what Justin said.” Caleb studied Tom. “I have to say, you don’t seem very excited.”

Tom blinked back tears. “There’s… something…”

Caleb frowned, and reached out and clasped Tom’s shoulder. “Tom, my goodness, what is it?”

Tom shook his head, trying to collect himself. “I think… It’s Mary. I think I’m losing her.”

“What makes you think that?” Caleb asked quietly.

Tom pursed his lips like he had tasted something sour. “It’s just a vibe she’s giving off. But it’s getting worse. I’m afraid…”

Caleb tried to look reassuring. “I’m sure you’re just imagining it,” he said.

Tom sighed. “I don’t think so. I don’t believe she thinks my feelings are genuine. She says it’s a prisoner/attorney romance. She thinks it will end as soon as I get out of here. But, I intend to court her properly. However, I’m afraid she’ll do something rash before I get the chance.”

“I’m sure you’re over-reacting,“ Caleb said. “Well, do you have anything else we need to discuss before I go? We need to free up the room.”

“Will you talk to Mary for me?” Tom asked earnestly. “Help me convince her that this is real?”

Caleb pursed his lips. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll talk to her. OK?”

Tom looked relieved. “Thanks, man.”

He stood, and as Caleb slowly got to his feet, Tom hugged him gingerly. Caleb could feel the bandages still there around Tom’s ribs as he gently returned the hug. “I’ll keep in touch,” he said, as they left the conference room together.

Caleb considered himself a good attorney; he prided himself on taking care of all of his client’s needs, but this felt ridiculous, and certainly, if Tom hadn’t practically begged, he, Caleb, would never, ever consider getting involved in a client’s romance. But, Mary had resigned the case over this, and if Tom and Mary were spouses, Caleb would feel it his duty to do what he could, so, reluctantly or not, as soon as he returned to his office, he called her.

“Hey, Mare,” he said, as soon as she answered. “Tom wanted me to talk to you.”

He could hear Mary sigh. ”What about, Caleb?”

“This is so awkward,” he said, pausing to take a breath. “The man is impossible. Can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered to himself. “Mare, he’s afraid he’s losing you.”

Mary was silent.

“Mary, are you still there?” Caleb asked.

“Yes, Caleb, I’m still here,” Mary said so softly, he had to strain to hear. “You know what this is, don’t you?” she asked. “You have to have seen it yourself, before.”

Caleb sighed. “Yes, of course I’ve seen it,” he said. “That’s what he’s afraid you think.”

“Well, isn’t this what it is, honestly?” Mary tried, but couldn’t help giving a little sob. “He can’t possibly love me. I know for a fact he has someone else. I heard him talking about her. As soon as he returns to his life, he’ll go back to her.”

“Mary, are you sure?” Caleb couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. He could hear that she was openly crying now.

“Yes,” Mary said, getting control of herself. “Caleb, don’t tell anyone this, and I do mean anyone. I’m going to share this with you, because I trust you. I’ve taken a public defender’s position in a county in Wales. As soon as Tom is out of prison, and I know he’s all right, I’m packing up and going there.”

Caleb gasped. “What are you going to tell Tom?”

Caleb couldn’t hear it, but Mary bit her lip. “I’m not, OK? I’m going to leave him a letter. If I see him, and he tries to stop me, I’ll cave, and I can’t afford to do it. He needs to be free of me, and I need to make it a clean break.”

“Would it make any difference to you if I told you that I believe him?” Caleb asked quietly.

“Caleb, don’t make this any hander than it already is! Goodbye!”

And with a sob, she hung up.

It was a week before the doctors would give the police permission to interview Rose. She claimed to remember the accident perfectly. She said she knew who had been driving the car, but refused to name him. She said she did not want to press charges. She was shown several photos of Tom, some of them had even been taken at the bachelor party that very night. Rose categorically denied that Tom had been driving. Yes, she recalled him being at the party. As a matter of fact, she had seen him leave. He’d gotten into a taxi and had been driven away. He had not been present at the time of the accident, she didn’t know of any reason why he should be in prison, and certainly, he shouldn’t be incarcerated on her account, and it would help her recovery very much if he would be released from prison so that her conscience would be clear.

Tom was in the prison kitchen on dish detail when a guard came to fetch him. “Your attorney’s here,” the guard said. “Come with me.”

Tom finished up what he was doing, took off his rubber gloves, and followed the guard to the usual attorney/client conference room. Caleb was there, standing, so full of energy he was rocking on the balls of his feet. “Rose gave her statement!” he said enthusiastically. ”She completely exonerated you, said your incarceration was a farce, and called for your immediate release! Of course, paperwork to get you out of here will take a few days, and you can’t just leave, but you’re no longer exactly a prisoner, either. You’re to be allowed free use of the common areas, dining hall, exercise yard, et cetera, except now, of course, you aren’t to have any interactions with any of the prisoners.”

Tom slumped bonelessly into a chair. “I can live with that,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Caleb, I’m overwhelmed. I can’t believe it’s all almost over…”

Caleb sat as well. “Yes, well, it’s been a long six months.”

“Six months,” Tom said softly. He jerked his eyes towards Caleb. “What about Ben?”

“Rose refused to name the driver, and insisted on not pressing charges. I can only assume that he will honor his agreement to finance her education. I believe he’s also agreed to pay her hospital and doctor bills.”

“That only seems fair,” Tom said, nodding. “Say, Caleb, am I allowed free access of visitors?“

“I would imagine so,” said Caleb with raised brows. ”I’ll have to check with the warden.”

“Would you do so, please,” Tom asked earnestly. “And then, get Mary? I need to see her.”

“Sure Tom,” Caleb said, not quite meeting his eyes. “So, you can pretty much do what you like, only, no interactions with prisoners, and keep your head down, don’t call attention to yourself. It would be bound to create hard feelings.”

“Thanks, man,” Tom said.

The two men rose and embraced. “I just can’t thank you enough, Caleb,” Tom said, sounding happier than he had in months. “I owe you so much. I’m not sure how this works. I think when Justin resigned, and turned me over to Mary, that I thought I’d eventually go back to him. I hope you understand that I no longer want to do that. I consider you to be my attorney now.”

Caleb gave a gentle smile. ”Tom, I’m honored,” he said, blushing a little. “Certainly, I would love to continue to be your attorney. It’s been a sheer joy having a man of such, “nobility,” I guess you’d call it, as a client.”

They shook hands, and as Caleb walked away, he turned and said, “I’ll speak to the warden about visitors.”

“Thanks,” Tom said, smiling as broadly as he could.

An hour and a half later, Caleb was back. Tom was staring off into space, his book open on the table in front of him. He looked up as Caleb approached, and his face fell when he saw Caleb’s expression.

“I’m sorry, Tom,” Caleb said regretfully. “The warden can’t allow visitors. The other prisoners might cause trouble if they saw you receiving what looks like special treatment.“

Tom nodded, his mouth twisted. “I understand,” he said quietly. “That makes total sense. I’m disappointed, but I understand.”

“The good news is, he thinks he can get your paperwork expedited,” Caleb said happily. “You should be released the day after tomorrow!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the end! Thanks everybody, for reading, let me know if you like it, and as always, enjoy!
> 
> PS, I’ve already started the sequel, it’s called … Spring….

Fall

Chapter 9

Finally! Tom couldn’t believe it. After six months, he was being released. He was going home! That morning, a guard showed up and escorted him to the processing area, where the clothing and his personal items that he’d had with him when he was arrested were returned to him. As he took off the hated orange jump suit to change, he felt such a huge relief—it was as if a giant burden had been lifted from him along with the hated clothes. He slipped on his Vans, strapped on his watch, and pocketed his keys and wallet. Mary was supposed to be here to pick him up, and it struck him that he had never seen her as a free man. He felt elated at the thought of meeting her as his real self.

Two guards opened wide the gates, and he stepped into the sunshine. He stood still a moment, head tipped back, eyes closed, listening to the sounds going on around him: distant traffic, a light breeze, birds chirping. He didn’t realize he had tears running down his cheeks until he felt gentle fingers brushing them away. He opened his eyes to find Mary standing in front of him, a soft, sweet smile on her face.

“Mary!” he cried, delighted. He grabbed her and whirled her around off her feet, and she laughed, breathless. “Tom, silly!” she protested. “Put me down!”

“Mary, I’m free!” he said, and kissed her. It started out a light brushing of lips, but soon escalated into a passionate melding of mouths, until Tom drew back, panting a little.

“Tom,” Mary said, looking up at him dazedly. She hesitantly reached out a hand and brushed his hair back from his forehead. “I’ve come to pick you up. Where would you like to go? Do you have anyplace specific in mind?”

Tom breathed a heavy sigh. “No,” he said quietly. “I just want to go home.” He raised a hand and cupped her face. “Mary, take me home.”

Mary nodded, and turned and led him to her car. “Tom, I’ve never been to your home before.”

It struck her then that she had never seen Tom when he wasn’t in custody. She was surprised when Tom spoke her thought out loud.

“Do you realize I’ve never been with you when I wasn’t a prisoner?” he asked. “I’m finally free, and I can court you the way I’ve so far only dreamed of.”

Mary bit her lip as she felt her heart break just a little bit more. She was happy that Tom was finally free. She was, so happy. But, truth be told, she’d been dreading this day, because now she was going to have to leave him. He wouldn’t really be free until he’d let go of the prisoner/attorney attachment he’d developed for her, and the easiest and fastest way to do that was to disappear out of his life.

She followed his directions until they arrived at a small, unassuming little block of flats. “Here it is,” Tom said happily. “Here’s home!”

“I expected you to live someplace grander,” Mary said, surprised.

“A lot of people say that,” Tom said, grinning, “but this is enough for me! I’ve lived here quite a while. Come, let me show you around.”

Mary followed him into his small flat. “Mum and Emma were here yesterday, airing it out and bringing some groceries. Can I get you something?” Tom asked.

“Tea would be nice,” Mary said, smiling.

Tom looked at her, grinning. “I’ll make Earl Grey. You go back into the living room and pick out a video. I want to watch a movie and cuddle on the couch with my girl!”

Mary shot him an amused look, then went to check out his video collection. For having such a small unassuming flat, his home theater system was impressive, and his video collection was huge. Mary felt overwhelmed

“What kind movie do you fancy?” she called to him.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, coming into the living room with two cups of steaming tea. “Pick something you’ve seen before, so that you won’t mind missing it when we start making out!” he said suggestively.

Mary grinned as she pulled a video from the rack. “How about…” she paused, and Tom asked, “What are you up to?”

Mary held up the video she’d chosen. Tom pursed his lips. “Seriously, Mary?” he asked, a little embarrassed. “Thor: The Dark World?”

Mary pretended to pout. “You said to pick something I’ve seen before. Well, I’ve seen this seven times…” Mary suddenly realized how that sounded, and now she was the one who was embarrassed, and she thought Tom was preening a little. She thought about saying something about stroking his ego, but decided that after six months in prison, he deserved to have his ego stroked. He took the video from her, loaded it into the machine, and got it started. He seated himself on the couch, then patted the cushion beside him. “Please come sit with me, Mary,” he said, giving her the puppy eyes treatment, and Mary couldn’t resist. She slowly sat down next to him. Instantly his arm was around her, pulling her close to his side.

As the video played, Mary couldn’t help looking back and forth from Loki on the screen, to Tom sitting beside her, but eventually the movie caught her up, and she became lost in the story. When Tom started kissing her hair, she snuggled closer to him. Encouraged, his mouth began to roam over her cheek and brow, gradually working down til he was nibbling and kissing the sensitive skin of her neck and behind her ear. Mary gasped, feeling moisture pooling between her thighs. “Tom,” she murmured, and turned her face toward him.

Tom took that as the invitation it was, and he ghosted his lips over hers teasingly.

“Tom,” she protested, and tangling her fingers in his hair, she brought his mouth to hers. Tom opened for her, and she sucked his tongue into her mouth. Tom made a sound low in his throat and deepened the kiss. He cupped her breast over her shirt, rubbing gently, and she moaned.

Mary wanted the memory of this night to treasure through the painful days she knew would come. “I want you, Tom,” she whispered, her mouth near his ear. Tom felt her breath and he shivered, and crushed his mouth to hers.

It had been months since they’d first been together in the attorney/client conference room, and Tom knew that he probably would not last long the first time. “Mary, it’s been too long,” he told her. “I need you, but it probably won’t be good for you…”

Mary knew what he was trying to say. “It’s been just as long for me,” she said, and lifted her tee shirt over her head. She pulled at Tom’s shirt, her fingers grasping. “Take this off,” she gasped, and Tom put his hands up and she pulled it over his head and tossed it on the floor. She ran her palms over his chest and shoulders, loving the feel of his skin. “Oh, Tom,” she sighed, “you feel so good!”

Tom kissed her again, then ran his mouth down her neck, nibbling gently. He reached around behind her, unclasping her bra, then pulling it off and tossing it with the rest of their clothing. “Oh, you’re so beautiful!” he said, cupping her breasts in his hands, gently rubbing his thumbs over her nipples til they peaked. He bent forward, kissing and sucking, and Mary cradled his head in her hands, holding him against her.

Tom pulled back and stood up, taking Mary’s hands and pulling her to her feet. He kept one of her hands in his, and led her to his bedroom. He toed off his shoes, then kneeled in front of Mary, untying her shoes and taking them off for her. He looked up at her as he unfastened her jeans and pulled them down her legs, Mary stepped out of them and stood before him in just her underwear. “I’ve never seen all of you,” Tom whispered, and pulled off her knickers.

“So beautiful,” he said, and wrapping his arms around her hips, he pressed his face to her stomach. “I love you so much,“ he said on a sigh. “I want to taste you,” he said, and parting her folds with his fingers, he pressed a kiss to her mound before licking her slit from bottom to top. Mary let out a breath, and tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him to her. He teased her, dipping his tongue into her opening, avoiding her clit til she whined and bucked her hips against his face. He chuckled and stood, then led her to the bed. “Lay down, Mary, love,” he said gently.

Mary lay on her back and Tom shed his jeans and underwear before he joined her. He kissed her slowly, his tongue tangling with hers, while stroking his hand down over her breasts and stomach, continuing lower til he reached her sex. He inserted two fingers into her opening, stroking until he found her sweet spot. “Tom, please,” she moaned, “I’m so close,” and using his thumb on her clit, he whispered, “Come,” and Mary’s climax hit her hard, and her walls clamped around his fingers as she came.

Tom worked her through her orgasm, and then, before the last spasms died away, he positioned himself at her opening and entered her swiftly. He held still, reveling in the feeling of being inside her. “Mary, you’re so tight and wet,” he groaned, his eyes clenched shut tight. He began thrusting, forcing himself to go slowly, but it wasn’t long before his rhythm faltered, and his thrusts sped up and became erratic.

Mary lifted her hips to meet him, rocking so that he hit her sweet spot, and she felt him rapidly losing control. She slipped a hand between them, finding her clit and rubbing in small circles. ”Tom, I’m going to come again,” she whimpered, and as Tom heard her words, he felt the first rhythmic squeezing of her climax, and his own hit him hard and he came undone, shooting deep inside her, shouting out her name.

As they both came down, he cradled her in his arms, kissing her brow and stroking her hair. He pressed his mouth to hers, and murmured, “Mary, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Tom,” she said, and Tom didn’t notice the tears in her eyes.

Mary didn’t have long to wait for Tom to fall asleep. As soon as she was sure, she gently extricated herself, freezing when he murmured in his sleep. He reached for her, and she handed him the pillow and watched as he cuddled it in his arms.

She dressed quickly, then placed the letter she had written on his bedside table, then she turned for one last look at this man she loved. Tears were running down her cheeks as she blew him a kiss. “I love you, Tom,” she whispered, and quietly closed the door.

Epilogue

Tom woke slowly, stretching and reaching for Mary, but she wasn’t there. He thought she must be in the bathroom, but she wasn’t there, either. He searched his whole flat, his calls for her getting more and more frantic until finally, he returned to his bedroom, and saw the envelope she had propped on his bedside table. With trembling fingers he tore it open, and read:

“Dear Tom, by now you’ve awakened and found me gone. Please forgive me the manner in which I’ve handled this, but if I’d given you a chance to speak to me, I never would have left. And Tom, I needed to leave. I had to set you free. You said yourself, we have never known each other when you weren’t in custody, and I know you think that what you feel for me is genuine, but I think you’ll find in the weeks and months to come, that you’ll be grateful that I’ve not held on to you, that I’ve granted you your freedom. I hope that someday, we will both be able to look upon our association with fondness.

Tom, I know you have a girl on the outside waiting for you. I heard you dreaming of her in the hospital after your attack. I’m sure once you give your press conference and the world is made aware of your innocence, that you and your India will get back together in no time. I wish you every happiness.

Tom, please don’t try to find me. I have left the country. But, please, do know that I love you with all my heart, and that’s why I’m doing this. You need to be free.

All my love, Mary Elizabeth

The letter fell and drifted from his nerveless fingers, and tears fell as he sobbed out loud.

He called Caleb to ask him if he knew anything about Mary, but Caleb denied any knowledge.

In the next few weeks, Diana and Emma threw a party for all of Tom’s friends to welcome him back. Luke arranged a press conference, and Tom told his story publically. His agent asked him if he was ready to go back to work, but Tom begged off, saying he needed a little time to just get used to life on the outside again. For Tom seemed preoccupied and lost.

Benedict and Linda Cumberbatch had their baby, a little boy that Linda insisted be named Thomas William Cumberbatch.

A young girl named Rose Brandstock enrolled in university, all expenses paid by a mysterious benefactor.

Tom called on Caleb one day. As his secretary showed Tom in, she smiled at the charming actor, like most people, a little smitten. Tom took a seat opposite Caleb’s desk. “How’ve you been, Tom?” Caleb asked, “and what can I do for you?”

“Oh, not much,” Tom replied. ”I was just wondering how Mary is.”

“Oh, she’s doing as well as can be expected…” Caleb began, and then froze, realizing he’d given himself away.

Tom just stared at him. “And now, you’re going to tell me everything you know.”


End file.
